My journey from Spektrum to Radiomaster/EdgeTX eventually brought me to consider using a drone style flight controller. Here is how it happened.
Back in the good ol’ days, when Moses and I were boys playing with planes, I had a couple of HiTec radios – one for each of my planes, and I got to hang my channel number on the board to make sure I wouldn’t be ‘shooting down’ someone elses plane. In more recent years, re-entering the hobby, that old gear was basically worthless, and I was advised to buy a Spektrum radio. I did that, and ran a full Spektrum of their gear.
After some time, I was discovering the benefits of using stabilized receivers (unthinkable for many of us old-timers!) for certain hard to handle planes. At that time I was mainly using DSMX receivers, and I found the Spektrum brand receivers with stabilization to be very expensive. In looking into good alternatives I found a lot of positive comments about LemonRX receivers, and so I bought one of their 7 channel stabilized receivers with telemetry. I was blown away by their low cost and great capabilities.
Associated with my growing discomfort with the cost and narrow focus of Spektrum, I also learned about Radiomaster. I was needing at least a ten channel radio, and at the time my NX6 could only provide 6 plus 1, and the NX10 was way beyond my budget. But for a price less than that of the NX6 I could buy a 16 channel Radiomaster that was compatible with the Spektrum receivers, plus a lot more.
Over the months that followed, my new found pathway naturally led me to Express LRS. Why would anyone want anything else? Immense range, low cost receivers, telemetry, and so much more! But ELRS was in the realm of long range drone pilots. And they all used flight controllers that provided stabilization, along with many other things. So, why would anyone produce a stabilized ELRS receiver?
Then the penny dropped. Flight controllers can be very inexpensive – less than a stand alone stabilizer. And, with iNAV, they can be programmed to fly fixed wing aircraft. Why not use a flight controller for stabilization?
So, that has led me to investigate its feasibility. Naturally, we know it can be done – FPV pilots are doing it every day. But with all their cameras, goggles and gizmos you are talking about some serious dollars. Is it possible to set up a normal, line of sight, RC plane using a flight controller for stabilization at minimal cost? And how much of a step up would it be to add GPS to have features like return to home?
The project has begun, and the first video will be released on YouTube.com/@RCJim soon. In the meantime, here is a document regarding the setup of what we think will be a suitable controller:
RC Jim 